Free Grace Theology Is Really Important(Mark 4:13)

At the end of the Parable of the Four Soils in Mark 4, the disciples asked the Lord to explain the parable to them. He does so, but before explaining the parable, He asks them a couple of questions. “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?” (Mark 4:13). Clearly the Lord sees the Parable of the Four Soils as teaching the basics of His instruction about the kingdom of God. He is surprised that the disciples do not grasp these things.

What are these basics? The Parable of the Four Soils teaches us two basic facts. One is that when a person believes in Jesus for eternal life, he or she receives that life. This is pictured in the last three soils. Each of them has faith and each of them has life, as seen in the fact that each is a seed that sprouts. A seed can only sprout if there is life!

The only soil that does not have life is the one that does not believe. This is what the first soil pictures.

The second basic truth is that those who faithfully endure in following Christ will produce a great spiritual harvest. A believer might give up because of persecution or the allure of the world. To do so will result in no spiritual maturity and no abundant harvest when the kingdom comes. Such a believer will not rule in the coming kingdom.

All Free Grace folks recognize these basics. Faith in Christ brings eternal life. Faithful obedience brings an eternal harvest or rewards in the kingdom. We must always keep these two things separate. Works and obedience have nothing to do with receiving eternal life.

The basics of a subject are the most important things to know if we are going to understand the subject. That is why Jesus begins and ends the Parable of the Four Soils with a call to “hear.” He says, “Listen!” at the beginning of the parable and concludes it with, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (vv 3, 9). The point is that we really need to listen and study this parable. But why?

Of course, we could say it is because the Lord is speaking! But another reason is what Jesus says here. We need to understand this parable because if we don’t, we won’t understand the rest of the parables.

In the remainder of Mark 4, Jesus gives us other parables. He points out that if we don’t understand the Parable of the Four Soils, we won’t be able to understand any of the others. Why? If we don’t understand the basics, we will not be able to make sense of Christ’s other parables and teachings. In fact, the rest of the parables in Mark 4 expand on the teaching of being faithful to the Lord and producing fruit.

But it is sobering that the majority of people in Christendom do not understand this parable. They don’t know the basics. If we pick up a commentary or hear a sermon on the four soils, we almost always see a mixture of faith and works. We are told that the second and third soils are pictures of unbelievers. We are told that if we don’t have a big harvest, then we do not have eternal life because all true believers are faithful to Christ until the end.

We see here, once again, how the words of the Lord turn out to be true. Is it any wonder that those who misinterpret the Parable of the Four Soils misinterpret the rest of His teaching? We are subject to writings and teachings all around us that deny salvation by grace through faith alone and have no concept of rewards in the kingdom. I am so grateful for teachers of grace who have understood the basics and faithfully teach the truth. Free Grace Theology is very important. Without it, we would not understand any of the teachings of the Lord.

Ken Yates is Editor of the Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society, GES’s East Coast speaker, and pastor of little River Baptist Church in Jenkinsville, SC.

5 Responses

Phil

Wonderful observations!
Thank you.

September 27, 2018 /

Alvin

Excellent point~!

September 27, 2018 /

Leo Z

Thanks Pastor Ken. This is so true. Great insight! In my early days when I was dabbling with IT, we had a saying whose acronym was “GIGO” It stood for “garbage in, garbage out”. Simply put, “ if the basic computer input is errror it will result in nothing but error, and more errors. Thanks for pointing this out and exhorting your readers to ponder on it.
In continued prayer for you and GES.

September 27, 2018 /

Ken Tamashiro

Thank You Pastor Ken Yates,

I liked what you have to say about Rewards in contrast to erroneous teachings about the 4 soils.

For me I think rewards can be very helpful because False Sanctification that requires proof of Salvation is destructive to the Believer.

In my opinion only,… I think the Lord was showing to his Disciples the contrast between the Unbelieving Jew verses the Believing Jew and how those Messianic Believers will produce differing results for the Lord as in contrast to the Unbelieving Jew will have nothing to show for his Unbelief.

If I may bring up some of my concerns about Rewards is that it can be good to correct Erroneous Teachings but on the other hand as for me as a Free Grace person, I do not agree on over focusing on Rewards or Ruling with Christ because I believe there will be many more above me who has developed a Mature and Gracious Character and I will be underneath them in the Kingdom. Also, there will be others who will be underneath me and I will show them my Graciousness towards those below me.

I Believe in a general sense, that Graciousness and a Developed Character will be our determinative factor in our position in the Kingdom.

Grace and Peace to You,
Ken Tamashiro

September 29, 2018 /

Alvin

I think rewards fits right into what most folks hit you with when talking to them about a free gift. They usually come back with James faith without works is dead. So, coming back with, “what does it profit you.” Shows them the salvation it is talking about in James is losing your life to gain it.
Also this is just my OPINION, but I plan on sitting in the last chair. That way if the Lord moves me up to Kens chair that is all right. In fact I think the Lord said something like that, taking the last chair, better if you need to be moved up than moved down. This is JUST my opinion though:-)

Grace in Focus Radio

Grace In Focus Magazine

The primary source of Grace Evangelical Society's funding is through charitable contributions. GES uses all contributions and proceeds from the sales of our resources to further the gospel of grace in the United States and abroad.